ROSEMEAD, Calif.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Southern California Edison (SCE) today submitted a notice to the California
Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding a conversation with a
CPUC commissioner in 2013. SCE recently strengthened its system of
policies and practices across the company regarding contacts with the
commission.

“President Michael Picker and the new leadership of the CPUC have
clearly started a new way of doing the public’s business at the
commission, and SCE embraces this”

SCE’s ex
parte notice filed today with the CPUC references a conversation
Stephen Pickett, former SCE executive vice president of External
Relations, had in March 2013 with Michael Peevey, then president of the
CPUC. While both men were attending an industry event, Peevey initiated
a meeting with Pickett to get an update on the status of SCE’s efforts
to restart the San
Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (now shut down).

In the course of that meeting, Peevey offered his thoughts on a
framework for a possible resolution to issues facing the nuclear plant.
SCE did not file an ex parte notice at the time the meeting occurred
because, based on Pickett’s recounting of the conversation, SCE’s
conclusion was that the communication was one way, from Peevey to
Pickett. Under commission rules, a decision-maker’s one-way
communication and its content are not to be reported.

Based on further information received from Pickett last week, it now
appears that he may have crossed into what could be considered a
“substantive” communication to a decision-maker. While it is not
clear-cut whether the rules require the meeting to be reported, SCE
filed today’s notice.

Taking this action is consistent with the company’s policy to avoid
“close calls” when it comes to compliance.

“President Michael Picker and the new leadership of the CPUC have
clearly started a new way of doing the public’s business at the
commission, and SCE embraces this,” said SCE President Pedro Pizarro.
“The policies and procedures that SCE has already put in place fully
support this direction.”

The system of policies and procedures revised by SCE starting last year
include intensified and ongoing training regarding the CPUC’s ex parte
rules and the adoption of internal
procedures that exceed current CPUC requirements. Under its
strengthened policies, SCE requires advance approval from its legal
department if an employee plans to engage with a CPUC decision-maker
about a pending proceeding. The policy
also imposes limitations on interactions with decision-makers.

“SCE is committed to continually reviewing its policies and procedures,
and to making changes whenever necessary, to ensure that the systems we
have in place conform to both the letter and the spirit of open and fair
communication and compliance with commission rules,” said Pizarro.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison
is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population
of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a
50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern
California.